What's the furthest you've sailed in the smallest boat?

Dave Groshong · Feb 5, 2016

I sailed 15,000 open ocean miles in a 1963 Cal 28, definitely wouldn't do it again.

Benny17441 · Feb 5, 2016

Put it on a trailer and it will take you all over the country. Not being funny; we trailer a Starwind 223 to different sailing venues for trips of 10-15 days a year. Sailed the Long Island Sound stopping at towns in Connecticut and New York among them Mystic and Greenport. Have done the Chesapeake Bay on 3 different occasions, Baltimore, Annapolis, Fireworks in Washington DC and spent a few days at Tangier Island courtesy of the weather. Outer Banks of North Carolina with a stay at Okracoke. Various inland Lakes and Miami to Tampa through Marathon into Florida Bay. All it takes is some planning, a little bit of money and the time. Seldom do more than 35NM in a day and combine anchoring out with transient slips at marinas. We like to get off the boat and go into towns and go see and do things; to travel and spend all the time aboard the boat I might as well would do it close to home and see practically the same things. The big boat goes to the Bahamas but the 22' goes everywhere.

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani · Feb 6, 2016

Rhodes Meridian 25 11,800 cruising miles, so far

Twice across Gulf of Mexico (once single hand). Double hand to the Keys, Bahamas, Chesapeake,
Single hand return from Chesapeake to Texas.

Two trips Texas to Florida and return.

all comfortable sailing, for the most part

druid · Feb 6, 2016

Well, the SMALLEST boat I've sailed is a kiddy-pool I sailed from the boat to the shore on Wreck Beach, using a beach umbrella for a sail

I don't know the total mileage I did on my Venture 22, but the longest was about 50 miles round-trip up the BC "sunshine coast". I sailed the Cal 25 all over the place, longest single passage was probably Desolation Sound (about 100 miles each way)

druid

Bad Obsession · Feb 6, 2016

I cruise a Compac 23 for a few weeks every spring and fall. It does get small, especially on days when you are holed up in port due to weather.

People have gone around the world in very small boats. There are tricks and tactics that will make this more successful.

In the end the boat doesn't make the determination on how far you go, you do. Of course there are limits to provisions etc. but if you use the boat for what it is intended for, coastal cruising, you can always make a landfall and get more supplies.

Alan Gomes · Feb 6, 2016

Dave Groshong said:
I sailed 15,000 open ocean miles in a 1963 Cal 28, definitely wouldn't do it again.

Why not? I'd be curious to hear about your experiences in that particular boat.

JerryA · Feb 6, 2016

I often sailed my Precision 23 25-35 miles in a day on Lake Erie. This past summer I sailed my Tanzer 29 164 miles in three days on Lake Erie, Erie Pa. to Sandusky Oh. So long as the weather is nice and you have a motor that will get you back when the wind dies, why not?

JerryA

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani · Feb 6, 2016

Remember- 20 footers have been sailed round the world, single handed

rgranger · Feb 7, 2016

Benny17441 said:
Put it on a trailer and it will take you all over the country. Not being funny; we trailer a Starwind 223 to different sailing venues for trips of 10-15 days a year. Sailed the Long Island Sound stopping at towns in Connecticut and New York among them Mystic and Greenport. Have done the Chesapeake Bay on 3 different occasions, Baltimore, Annapolis, Fireworks in Washington DC and spent a few days at Tangier Island courtesy of the weather. Outer Banks of North Carolina with a stay at Okracoke. Various inland Lakes and Miami to Tampa through Marathon into Florida Bay. All it takes is some planning, a little bit of money and the time. Seldom do more than 35NM in a day and combine anchoring out with transient slips at marinas. We like to get off the boat and go into towns and go see and do things; to travel and spend all the time aboard the boat I might as well would do it close to home and see practically the same things. The big boat goes to the Bahamas but the 22' goes everywhere.

I'm with Benny on this point. I too have sailed Tangier, Annapolis, St. Micheal's in the Chesy and I've also sailed from Edington NC all the way to Oriental NC.... with many stops in between. Until my life situation will allow me to make a true passage, I'm sticking with a trailer sailboat.

Sumner · Feb 8, 2016

My longest trip so far has been with the 26 foot Macgregor S (displacement/water ballast hull). 1300 miles from Florida's west coast to Gerorgetown in the Bahamas and back to Florida's east coast single handing. It was mostly motoring from the west coast to the Berry's in the Bahamas with a fair amount of sailing from there to Georgetown but still some motoring due to the predominate east winds.

On the return, north of Georgetown in the Exuma's I meet a guy, Tony, with a 30 foot Gimini 3000 and he was anal about sailing on and off anchor and everywhere even in light winds. He got me hooked on it also to almost the same degree. So from Black Point in the Exuma's to West End on the west end of the Grand Bahama Island, the point of departure back across the Gulf Stream I pretty much sailed the whole way. So for this 400+ mile stretch of the trip I sailed all of it except maybe 10-12 miles. I was able to sail on and off anchor more and more and only motored for a few miles into a head wind to get into Fox Town before it got worst and in and out of a couple cuts or on/off anchor if there were other boats. Sailing day after day became quite rewarding and I got to the point I just hated to start the outboard. I had hoped to sail back across the Gulf Stream but conditions weren't favorable for that and I had a narrow window to go in between storms so took it and motored across.

Ruth and I also tried to sail the length of Lake Powell (about 150 miles) We would sail each day and mark our position and then motor to an anchorage and return to where we left off the day before and sail from there up the lake. We made it about 95 miles, but it took 18 days with the flaky canyon winds and also a couple days of 50+ mph winds where we didn't move and I got hurt resulting in us quitting at Bull Frog/Halls Crossing before finishing the 150 miles. I want to return and sail the remaining 60 miles or so and hope to do that this year,

Sumner
========================================================
1300 miles to The Bahamas and Back in the Mac...
Endeavour 37 Mods...
MacGregor 26-S Mods...http://purplesagetradingpost.com/sumner/endeavour-main/endeavour-index.html
Mac Trips to Utah, Idaho, Canada, Florida, Bahamas

okawbow · Feb 8, 2016

Just finished reading 500 Days by Serge Testa. He did a circumnavigation in a 12 foot sailboat.

shemandr · Feb 8, 2016

Webb Chiles.
But the OP was about voyages we've made in small boats. Mine was about 6 miles in the Marblehead skiff I built and which leaked badly. It was only bailing that kept it afloat and that was stretching the definition of floating. I guess if the gunwals are mostly above the surrounding water you are technically afloat.

Dave Groshong · Feb 8, 2016

Alan Gomes said:
Why not? I'd be curious to hear about your experiences in that particular boat.

I didn't pick my weather very well, got beat up pretty good, single handed ocean crossings are just not necessarily fun, I prefer the Puget Sound and San Juan islands. The boat handled it fine, was modified just a bit with a redone hull/deck joint.

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani · Feb 8, 2016

Well, I have done 200 miles on four different occasions on this boat, all inshore- Texas 200.
18 foot open trimaran I built

in this video, sailing the land cut above the Laguna Madre, both sails reefed,, broad reachingin measured 28 knot winds

WayneH · Feb 8, 2016

I took a one week cruise from Port Lavaca to Port Aransas and back in a 21 footer. The Admiral and I took our 16 foot daysailer on several weekend weekend and weeklong trips. I don't recall all the mileages but I'm pretty sure they total MORE than the mileage on my 37 footer. dammit.

The Garbone · Feb 8, 2016

We took our C27 to Georgia and back over two weeks. 350 miles +- some outside some ICW.

Charlie Jones s/v Tehani · Feb 8, 2016

WayneH said:
I took a one week cruise from Port Lavaca to Port Aransas and back in a 21 footer. The Admiral and I took our 16 foot daysailer on several weekend weekend and weeklong trips. I don't recall all the mileages but I'm pretty sure they total MORE than the mileage on my 37 footer. dammit.

lol-I think I know that 21 footer!

kimelmore · Feb 9, 2016

30 ft Catalina back and forth to Catalina Island ( two harbors on the west end )..oh yeah...and two cruises on CVA ( aircraft carrier for those who don't know these things ). I've seen the ocean mean enough to send waves over a 60 ft high bow so no...I'm not going there in my 30footer.

What's the furthest you've sailed in the smallest boat?

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